By Bryn Borzillo
The first Republican presidential debate of the election season finally arrived.
While a distance from the debate stage in Milwaukee, The Philadelphia Inquirer continues to follow incoming debates that will shape the 2024 presidential election.
Julia Terruso, national political reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, says she has spotted noticeable differences from recent years in political coverage.
Terruso says she has noticed fewer candidate signs and fewer watch parties around the city to promote the election.
“It feels a lot different than it did in 2019,” Terruso recalled.
The largest difference, however, was the notable absence of former President Donald Trump, who announced earlier in the month that he would not be in attendance and instead opted to participate in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on his social media site, Truth Social.
Other candidates taking the stage on Wednesday were Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
With Trump’s absence, the debate allowed other candidates the opportunity to promote their platforms without the spotlight on the former president.
“I think some of these lesser-known candidates aren’t getting as much attention with Trump in the midst,” Terruso said. “It’s a balance because politics is in a lot of ways about the drama.”
Over the years, political reporters like Terruso have watched the debate scene change, with more aggression among candidates and the use of misinformation in political platforms. With terms such as “fake news” floating out in the world, deciphering the truth in the event’s coverage has become a common problem for journalists covering the event.
From topics such as immigration to climate change, Terruso found herself fact-checking every step of the process, while simultaneously trying to absorb and interpret all the information on the screen.
“It becomes a lot more complicated to do basic debate and event coverage responsibly,” Terruso said. “[I’m just] one person trying to literally absorb information, digest it and fact-check it.”
While Terusso prepped with extensive research on popular topics such as abortion rights and Ukraine aid, she stressed the unpredictability of the current events to be discussed throughout the night.
Despite the challenge, Terusso’s goal was to fairly and accurately report on the issues brought up, while keeping in mind the biases that might exist in individual areas of the country.
“You always have to know the bubble you live in,” Terruso said of the hyper-aware approach she was taking to her coverage.
Pennsylvania remains a swing state and Terruso says she will continue to keep her eye on polls, as the state will most likely be an important factor in the 2024 presidential election.
